No. 71: Create an Address Book

I am still attempting to make headway on my list items and have managed to scratch off another couple this week (detail on the other one in another post, maybe). The most recent addition to the completed goals pile was creating an address book. Or more accurately, buying an address book, but whatever.

Now, as someone who is quite particular about organising things (music, data.. I make a point of filing all of my invoices etc.) you might think I would have something as simple as an address book covered. But no, I haven't even recorded this kind of thing in my email contacts or on my phone. As I am hoping to get around to sending out some Christmas cards this year it seemed like a good time to get down everyone's details somewhere that wasn't randomly misplaced post-it notes.

It's not quite full yet (and to be honest, I don't know that many people well enough to warrant needing their address) but I will keep adding to it until it at least appears that I have plenty of friends.

As for the list, I am now up to 24 goals completed, which is just a about a quarter of the way through (at over a third through on time). I'll be hoping to get some others added to that soon! I still need more suggestions for No. 87 by the way.

Is it Really December Already?

Time only goes past ever faster the older you get and this year has been no different. That is even despite my status of being unemployed since the beginning of it. Time continues to bound on like a stoat chasing a rabbit even if you spend a lot of it doing not very much at all it seems. This can be a pretty busy and stressful time of year, considering all of the impending celebrations and enforced jolliness, so I feel fortunate to be part of a family that doesn't really do serious present exchanging at Christmas. Now that may seem a little bah humbug, but it does mean that nobody ends up being given stuff that they didn't really want or need in the first place.

Not having huge amounts of shopping to do is certainly a relief then, but I do quite enjoy being able to go into town during December and look at all the lights, as well as watch all the people rushing about. Southampton city centre isn't exactly about to win any beauty competitions, but with the market and lights in the trees it can still look relatively pretty.

As it has been a bit colder here in the past couple of days, I have also got to wear my long johns. Score! Hopefully that will continue and we'll get some nice crisp winter days with good sunlight. I have a feeling it might turn miserable again though.

Even though I don't have much shopping to do (and no job), it should still be a relatively busy time of year for me. I have birthdays to attend, hopefully a trip up to Liverpool, all the family type stuff (which will involve cooking Christmas dinner) and still have to work out what I'm doing for New Year. Oh, and then off to Vegas for CES at the beginning of January.

I'm actually looking forward to all of it.

Neon Noise Project @ Village Underground, Shoreditch

As you probably know, as part of my 101 list I am making sure I go to at least 5 live music gigs a year. The first year of this went reasonably well and I managed to get along to the allotted number of events. However I'd like to make this year better and go to more if possible and got under way this weekend just gone with a trip into London.

I saw Chromeo when they played at Bestival in 2008, which was an enjoyable experience (more so because CSS played after them). I hadn't been out and about in Shoreditch before as well, so it's always good to have a nosy around bits of the city I don't know. We decided to drive from my sister's place in Fulham to get to the gig. This probably wasn't the wisest idea and resulted in a fantastic hour+ long drive across central London. I wouldn't recommend it.


Village Underground is largely a restored Victorian warehouse space, so there was a nice high ceiling to dance under and some characterful brick walls and archways (can't really see those in the pictures, sorry).


We stood near the back to ensure we had space to throw some shapes.

Yeah, I don't know what that one is either.


We didn't stay long after Chromeo had finished their set (which was an awesome synth-bass concoction of disco-dancey joy. A little cheesy but fun never the less), though the traffic back across town was still horrendous at 3am. My friend was also suggesting all evening that going to see a performance that was made up of DJ sets probably doesn't count as live music and therefore couldn't count towards the list. To that I say that it is my list and I decide what counts and what doesn't, so there!

Sex, Love and Relationships

I mentioned last week that I would be guest posting for eQ's blog on the titled subject, and now that it is up you can go ahead and read it over here.

Now, if only I consistently put as much effort as that into my own posts I might sound considerably more interesting than I do a lot of the time. I guess I should start writing down topic ideas in my notebook, rather than once in a while staring at a blank screen with itchy keyboard fingers.

Self Portrait - November 2009

If you look through my self portraits up to now, you may get the impression that I am quite a serious person. Now this is definitely not the case. Generally my face can be a pretty animated thing (it can often give away how I'm feeling when I would rather it didn't), so I pulled a few faces this time around. The one below is what came out best (at least in my opinion).

The good thing about taking these photos is that I have felt a lot less concerned about what I look like as time has gone on. Not that I have ever been afraid to look silly before, at least without a camera shoved in my face.

A Hip Hop Injection

I posted recently about the first of what will be a series of ten mix CDs I am creating for friends of mine (as part of my 101 list, naturally). The second CD was compiled for my pen pal eQ and has a hip hop theme.

Track Listing:

1. From Here To Fame - AIM
2. The Magic Number - De La Soul
3. December 4th - DJ Dangermouse
4. Just To Get A Rep - Gang Starr
5. Family Rap - Breakestra
6. Rapper's Delight (edit) - Grandmaster Flash and The Sugar Hill Gang
7. What's Golden - Jurassic 5
8. Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks - Herbaliser
9. Roller Disco - Goldie Lookin' Chain
10. Live From The Plantation - Mr. Lif
11. Vibrate - Mr. Scruff
12. Meatshake - Ugly Duckling
13. Fix Up, Look Sharp - Dizzee Rascal
14. Witness (1 Hope) - Roots Manuva
15. Work It Out (ft. Dave Matthews Band) - Jurassic 5
16. Sand Steppin - Martin Brew
17. Release Pt.1, 2 & 3 - Blackalicious

Once again, if you have access to Spotify then you can listen to the playlist of the above tracks here (again, some are missing due to availability).

Thanks to eQ for taking a picture of the cover art for me. Also for the bonus of pictures of the CD with her dog, Baxter.

I wonder if he enjoys the music?

Things I Like About Winter: Thermal Underwear

The winters here in the UK have a tendency to be mild and wet, and though it is getting towards the end of November we haven't had any particularly cold weather yet where I live (not even a ground frost!). When it does get cold, I actually quite enjoy the various winter clothes you can then wear. Hats, coats and scarves are all rather comforting and can also be stylish. One of the things I look forward to which may seem slightly more strange is thermal underwear.

Something tightly fitting and warm is weirdly satisfying. There is something quite sexy about it (ooh la la). Is this the same way that women feel about leggings, or am I just a bit of a nutjob?

Of course the main reason for wearing it is being able to wonder out into the freezing cold while feeling warm and cosy underneath all your layers. Mmmmm, toasty!

Going For A Walk

I haven't been keeping up with running lately (how I'm going to cope with marathon training I don't know), part due to laziness and partly due to the weather. It's so much harder to motivate yourself to get out when it's cold, wet, windy and dark by about five. I have been trying to make up for it in some way by doing more walking, which means I can wrap up warm and also take my camera with me.

So, photos.

I'll be trying not to be lazy and will write some proper posts soon, rather than taking the easy way out and using photos. I'll be writing a guest post for eQ's blog sometime this week, on the topic of sex, love and relationships (could be interesting), so watch out for that.